Roving Mars

Mars is Earth’s closest planetary neighbor, and for decades scientists have been curious about the so-called “Red Planet,” wondering if it’s possible that life exists there, how its soil and terrain differs from our own, and if water can be found. While sending a manned space mission to Mars has been considered beyond the reach of America’s space program, in 2001 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration approved a mission to send two “rovers” to Mars — wheeled robots that would send images and data back to Earth.

A two-year crash program resulted in two robotic rovers (dubbed “Spirit” and “Opportunity”) being sent to Mars, which have given scientists and researchers on Earth a brand new vision of what the planet is really like.

Roving Mars is a documentary which offers a detailed look at the people behind the Mars rover program, how the machines were built and what they can do, and what has been learned since they reached their target. Roving Mars was shot and originally exhibited in the high-definition IMAX film format. (Barnes & Noble)